Upcoming Senate Committee Meetings

Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs – 9/3/2024 Time: 10:00 AM, Location: E1.012

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Water System Reliability: Evaluate water systems in Texas and identify opportunities to better equip those systems to serve the public. Review the coordination of relevant state agencies dealing with Texas water issues and identify opportunities for improved coordination and effectiveness.
  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • Senate Bill 28, relating to financial assistance provided and programs administered by the Texas Water Development Board;
    • Senate Bill 1289, relating to the disposal of reclaimed wastewater;
    • Senate Bill 1414, relating to the temporary regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; and
    • Senate Bill 1648, relating to the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund.

Finance – 9/4/2024 Time: 10:00 AM, Location: E1.036

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Continue Cutting Property Taxes: Identify the best combination to further increase the amount of homestead exemption and compression to continue cutting Texans’ property taxes
  • Additionally, establish and report on the cost of eliminating: school maintenance and operation property taxes; all school property taxes; and all property taxes.
  • Determine the fiscal consequences of each action, including whether revenue reallocations would be required for public education funding and local government funding, and impacts on the state’s ability to respond to disasters and other urgent priorities. For example, determine the effect on other state programs if general revenue were used to fully replace school property taxes, particularly during economic downturns. Evaluate and report on how much state revenue would need to be generated to replace foregone property tax revenue, and from what source.
  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • Property Tax Relief: Senate Bill 2 and House Joint Resolution 2, 88th Legislature, Second Called Special Session.

Finance – 9/5/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E1.036

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Mental Health Services and Inpatient Facilities: Monitor the implementation of Senate Bill 30, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, with regard to appropriations made for expanding mental health services and inpatient facilities across the state. Report on the progress of inpatient facility construction projects. Assess and report on the effectiveness of spending on mental health services.
  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • Texas Energy Fund: Senate Bill 2627 and Senate Joint Resolution 93, 88th Legislature, Regular Session;
    • Texas Water Fund: Senate Bill 28 and Senate Joint Resolution 75, 88th Legislature, Regular Session;
    • Centennial Parks Conservation Fund: Senate Bill 1648 and Senate Joint Resolution 74, 88th Legislature, Regular Session; and
    • Broadband Infrastructure Fund: House Bill 9 and House Joint Resolution 125, 88th Legislature, Regular Session.

Natural Resources & Economic Development – 9/17/2024 Time: 10:00 AM, Location: E1.012

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Enhancing Workforce Productivity: Study ways to increase the state’s workforce productivity, including access to childcare. Make recommendations, within existing resources, to maintain childcare availability to support a growing workforce.
  • Cement Production Plants: Examine the impacts of permanent cement production plants on local communities. Make recommendations to ensure they are strategically situated and uphold community standards while also fostering economic development.

Health & Human Services – 9/18/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E1.012

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Children’s Mental Health: Review care and services currently available to the growing population of Texas children with high acuity mental and behavioral health needs. Make recommendations to improve access to care and services for these children that will support family preservation and prevent them from entering the child welfare system.
  • Access to Health Care: Evaluate current access to primary and mental health care. Examine whether regulatory and licensing flexibilities could improve access to care, particularly in medically underserved areas of Texas. Make recommendations, if any, to improve access to care while maintaining patient safety.
  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • Initiatives to reduce Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as other cost containment strategies; and Medicaid managed care oversight and accountability.

Transportation – 9/18/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E1.016

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Transportation Funding: Assess the implementation of funding appropriated by the 88th Legislature for aviation, maritime ports, international points of entry, existing rail line operations, and public transportation from non-dedicated state funds and federal funds and make recommendations to ensure these sectors meet current demands and are prepared for future growth.
  • Autonomous Vehicle Safety: Evaluate autonomous vehicle operations, implementation, incident reporting, and accountability to law enforcement. Make recommendations to ensure public safety and transparency.
  • Reviewing Historic Accomplishments in Transportation: Review the implementations and outcomes of key transportation funding and policy initiatives since the 84th Legislature. Report on trends or patterns to guide future planning and governance.
  • The Future of Our Economy: Evaluate President Biden’s plan to transition to all-electric vehicles, and the impact on Texans and the state economy. Assess and report on the viability of the charging infrastructure, including the need for more charging stations and upgrades to the power grid, loss of gas tax revenue for transportation and public education, barriers to widespread adoption such as consumer costs for purchasing new vehicles and installing residential charging infrastructure, and the impacts to the oil and gas economy in Texas.

Health & Human Services – 9/19/2024 Time: 8:30 AM, Location: E1.012

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • Senate Bill 7, Third Called Special Session, relating to prohibiting a private employer from adopting or enforcing certain COVID-19 vaccine mandates; authorizing an administrative penalty;
    • Senate Bill 24, relating to the powers and duties of the Health and Human Services Commission and the transfer to the commission of certain powers and duties from the Department of Family and Protective Services;
    • Senate Bill 26, relating to local mental health authority and local behavioral health authority audits and mental and behavioral health reporting, services, and programs;
    • Senate Bill 1849, relating to an inter agency reportable conduct search engine, standards for a person’s removal from the employee misconduct registry and eligibility for certification as certain Texas Juvenile Justice Department officers and employees, and the use of certain information by certain state agencies to conduct background checks.

Border Security – 9/19/2024 Time: 10:00 AM, Location: E1.016

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Securing the Texas-Mexico Border:Examine the impact of transnational criminal activity on commerce including, but not limited to, organized crime fuel theft to fund criminal operations. Make recommendations to support and strengthen interagency border operations to combat criminal enterprises.
  • Support for Border Security Personnel: Consider the effect on personnel who have actively served or participated in Operation Lone Star and the impact of their service on their health and well-being, and their regular employment or assignments outside of Operation Lone Star. Study the challenges and barriers that affect the recruitment and retention of personnel engaged in border security efforts.
  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • Senate Bill 602, relating to the law enforcement authority of federal border patrol agents;
    • Senate Bill 1133, relating to a program to compensate landowners for property damage caused by certain criminal activities; and
    • Senate Bill 1484, relating to a border operations training program for peace officers employed by local law enforcement agencies.

Business & Commerce – 10/1/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E1.012

  • Will meet to consider interim charges

Upcoming House Committee Meetings

Insurance – 9/5/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E2.014

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Examine and evaluate the effects of current regulations on the contractual relationships between pharmacists, pharmacies, health benefit plan issuers, and pharmacy benefit managers(PBMs).  Assess the effectiveness of existing laws in promoting transparency and fairness in drug pricing and out-of-pocket expenses for consumers. Study how PBM rebates function within the prescription drug market. Study programs which aim to increase transparency, improve quality of care for patients, and support public policy decisions. Analyze the effects of prohibiting certain contractual provisions that limit the ability of insurers to guide patients toward specific healthcare providers.
  • Examine the impact of current economic challenges on the escalating cost of health insurance premiums and options available to Texans in the small business and individual health insurance markets. Investigate solutions including the availability of a small business health options program and ways Texas can better manage and control administration of and the rising costs in our health insurance market.
  • Review the current practices and impacts of prior authorization in the healthcare system in Texas.
  • Review the impact of healthcare mandates on healthcare providers, insurers, and patients.
  • Review the current state of network adequacy in Texas, focusing on the availability and accessibility of healthcare providers within health insurance networks.
  • Review the use of current practices and policies regarding the imposition of hospital facility fees.
  • Review the use of artificial intelligence(AI) in the healthcare and health insurance industry.  Assess current applications of AI in clinical settings and for tasks such as claims processing, fraud detection, and for personalized insurance plans.  Study how AI could improve existing practices relating to risk assessment, underwriting, and customer service.  Study ethical and legal concerns associated with AI, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency.  Review the regulatory and oversight mechanisms needed to ensure responsible use of AI in the healthcare and health insurance industry.
  • Electronic public comments may be submitted for:
    • Transparency in healthcare and health insurance
    • State-based health exchange
    • Prior authorization in Texas
    • Healthcare mandate review
    • State of network adequacy in Texas
    • Hospital facility fees
    • AI in healthcare insurance industry

International Relations & Economic Development – 9/10/2024 Time: 1:30 PM, Location: E2.014

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • HB 1755, relating to the creation of the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund; and
    • HB 4451, relating to a report by the Texas Workforce Commission regarding apprenticeship opportunities in this state for emerging and high-demand industries.
  • The Committee will receive an update from the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office.
  • Early Childhood Education Industry: Evaluate the current state of the early childhood education industry. Review current early childhood policies and evaluate their effectiveness, including barriers to enter the Child Care Services program.

Business & Industry – 9/12/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E2.012

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    •  HB 4, relating to the regulation of the collection, use, processing, and treatment of consumers’ personal data by certain business entities; imposing a civil penalty.
  • Evaluate the impact on housing prices and rent caused by institutional buyers to determine whether policy changes are needed to ensure families and individuals are not unfairly priced out of homeownership.
  • Examine the proliferation of fraudulent deeds purporting to convey the sale or transfer of real or personal property. Recommend policy changes that will better protect potential victims from this illicit activity.

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence – 9/17/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E2.014

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    •  HB 19, relating to the creation of a specialty trial court to hear certain cases; authorizing fees;
    • HB 841, relating to certain judicial statistics and related information gathered by the Texas Judicial Council; and
    • HB 2384, relating to court administration, including the knowledge, efficiency, training, and transparency requirements for candidates for or holders of judicial offices.

State Affairs – 9/17/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E2.016

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Panhandle Wildfires: Evaluate the findings and recommendations of the Investigative Committee on the Panhandle Wildfires that are within the committee’s jurisdiction and develop related legislative solutions and other actions for preventing future wildfires and improving wildfire disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation.
  • Economic Challenges Impacting Insurance Premiums: Examine the impact of current economic challenges on the escalating costs of insurance premiums, including factors contributing to the withdrawal of insurance providers from certain markets. Investigate solutions to help Texans more easily and affordably obtain property and casualty insurance coverage. Evaluate long-term strategies for shifting from state-funded insurance programs to sustainable private market alternatives.

Youth Health & Safety, Select – 9/18/2024 Time: 10:00 AM, Location: E2.014

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • HB 3, relating to measures for ensuring public school safety, including the development and implementation of purchases relating to and funding for public school safety and security requirements and the provision of safety-related resources.

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services – 9/19/2024 Time: 10:00 AM, Location: E2.014

Will hear invited and public testimony on:

  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation:
    • SB 10, relating to certain benefits paid by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
    • HB 1666, relating to the commingling of funds by digital asset service providers; providing an administrative penalty.
  • ESG: Examine the ways in which environmental, social, governance (ESG) policies are contradictory to fiduciary duties and the resultant detrimental effect on investors.
  • Texas Investments: Examine how legislative changes affect the investment of public funds.
  • Pension Update: The committee will receive an update on the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System.
  • Pension Amortization Periods: The committee will receive an update on pension systems with infinite amortization periods.
  • The committee will consider an Attorney General opinion request regarding child support liens.

State Affairs – 9/30/2024 Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E2.016

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • Securing the border: Conduct a review of functions and operations of state agencies involved with carrying out Operation Lone Star as they relate to securing the border and preventing transnational criminal activity. Evaluate whether agencies have sufficient resources and authority to carry out their prescribed duties. Make recommendations to increase the safety and wellbeing of personnel and efficiency of agency operations as needed.

Upcoming Joint Committee Meetings

State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory – 9/3/2024 Time: 4:00 PM, Location: E1.012

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • The overall operation, function, and structure of the funds at least semiannually and may provide comments and recommendations to the board on any matter.

Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund Advisory – 9/3/2024 Time: 4:30 PM or upon adjournment/recess, Location: E1.012

Will hear invited testimony only on:

  • The overall operation, function, and structure of the funds at least semiannually and may provide comments and recommendations to the board on any matter.